Webber nominated for NFL High School Coach of Year

Pirates head coach Brad Webber was recently nominated for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award by the Atlanta Falcons. He was one of 32 coaches selected from across the nation. The NFL allows each coach to take one senior with them to the Pro Bowl in Orlando, FL to participate in the High School Challenge and he selected Gerald Hines to represent Pike County.’Gerald is an outstanding young man with a great future ahead of him,’ said Webber.Coach Webber has said his last season of coaching was the toughest he ever faced as junior linebacker Dylan Thomas was seriously injured during a game and then passed away. Coach Webber and the entire Pirate Nation were also honored by the Falcons as he was named the Coach of the Week. ’There were days and there still are days that our really tough. However, I am so proud of the support from across the nation, the state and our community they gave the family and the team. Through our faith and the support of so many in the community, the local churches, the school and administration we were and are able to hold onto the rope during difficult days and weeks,’ said coach Webber. ‘I truly believe the Falcons saw what we have as a community here and it’s something special. To me what they saw was a faith-based grass roots community that came together and helped each other through the most difficult time of the loss of an outstanding young man, teammate, brother and friend to all. I’m so proud to be a Pirate! We will remain DYLANSTRONG.’The Coach of the Year Award was named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Shula – the winningest coach in NFL history. The goal of the award is to recognize coaches for their ‘character and integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.’Two finalists for the award will receive $15,000 from the NFL Foundation, $10,000 of which will go to their high school’s football program. They will also attend Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta as special guests of the NFL and get to walk the red carpet at the NFL Honors, Feb. 2. ’High school football coaches not only serve as leaders, but as role models dedicated to shaping the lives of young high school players on and off the field,’ said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.